Exploring Different Types of Writing Styles

Writing and content generation is a huge industry at present date. Thus, writing is not only limited to your school assignments. If you learn the right skills, you can earn from it. Here you can counter this and say that today the market has AI tools to generate human-like content. But the truth is that humans will always write better than AI-driven tools. AI tools can have the best algorithm for sufficing the requirements, but customization as per the situation is not something AI is good at. Ai is not always good at choosing the right style of writing for a topic. When a topic adheres to more than one type, it fails to choose the appropriate style. This is where you, as a human writer, can beat AI. But for that, you have to understand the different styles of writing.

This blog here will guide you on the same. If considered broadly, then writing styles can be categorized into 8 categories. All of them are discussed in the content below. But prior to that, we will discuss briefly about writing styles.

What is a Writing Style?

The writing style is the particular communication method used by the author. The voice and tone that the author uses to write their content typically help to define their writing style. On the other hand, the kind of writing depends on the genre, the readership, and the writer. Every writer has a unique style, which can change depending on the project. However, you can find writers that stick to a consistent writing approach. The various writing styles that writers employ are listed below.

Writing styles, as said earlier, can be categorized into 8 categories. Each one of them is mentioned below with examples.

The Types of Writing Styles

Narrative Writing

The primary goal of narrative writing is to describe what occurs somewhere or with a certain person. The writing style you want to concentrate on is narrative if you're just starting out as a writer or writing your first book. Narrative writing, on the other hand, comprises both fiction and non-fiction. Fiction writing is entirely made up, as opposed to non-fiction, which is based on actual events.

The purpose of a narrative essay is to tell a story or share an experience with the reader. It is important to include relevant details that support the main theme of the essay. Additionally, ensure that the details you provide are interesting to the reader. You provide are interesting to the reader.

Some distinguishing features of narrative writing are –

• First-person narration
• Retelling a story in writing
• A lot of imagination

Look at the example below –

Each individual has unique characteristics that distinguish them from others. It is important to introspect and identify these qualities. Once we discover them and excel at them, it is crucial to remain humble and avoid overconfidence. When we are considered experts in a certain subject, people expect us to perform well, and it is our humility and honesty that come into play. I realized that I also possessed a talent when I played badminton one day and found that I had a natural ability for basic shots. I considered this to be a remarkable quality that was given to me. I started playing badminton professionally. I put in a lot of effort for two years before I won the district championship.

Expository Writing

Expository writing is meant to inform or clarify a specific subject to its audience. Expository writing, therefore, has the primary objective of informing the reader rather than amusing them; questions like when, who, what, where, and why are addressed in expository writing.

Since the purpose of this writing style is to inform the reader, the author's own opinions are not expressed in it.

A writer of an expository essay cannot assume that their readers will already be familiar with or understand the material they are presenting. It is best to highlight things as they are and avoid skirting the issue. The expository writing style's key characteristics include the following:

• It must be educational and highlight important information for a better understanding
• Clarity and subject-matter expertise are required in expository writing.
• Well-written expository writing maintains focus on the main subject and organizes the list of events.
• It is best to avoid using first-person narrative; second-person instruction is far more powerful
• It ought to present an unbiased version of the information and refrain from including any personal opinions or thoughts.

Cookbooks are the most common example of expository writing. But other significant examples include – scientific writings, textbooks, etc.

Here’s an example –

Advances in technology and science have enabled the use of environmentally friendly energy sources. Solar and wind energy can be harnessed in areas with suitable climates. Solar panels use sunlight to generate power for homes and businesses. Wind turbines are another effective method of utilizing the power of the wind. These sustainable energy sources are becoming more popular.

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Descriptive Writing

Did you think narrative and descriptive writing are the same thing? No, that's not the case. It is not just you, but there are many who get confused between these.

The author thoroughly describes every element of the person, place, or event in a descriptive piece of writing. The reader is transported to the setting when reading one such piece. Whether you're describing people, locations, items, or scenes, it's when you draw the reader into your writing. The reader can visualize a scene after reading a descriptive piece of writing. Your material will be more engaging, thanks to descriptive writing.

That said strictly avoid using descriptive language in technical papers and professional communications.

The confusion between narrative and descriptive writing is because both types of writing allow you to use more creative skills and infuse personal tone than others. You'll better understand the same with the example below. Compare it with the narrative piece mentioned above.

My cat gracefully navigates through the garden and jumps onto the fence to survey his surroundings. From his vantage point, he can keep watch over his territory and keep an eye on the neighbours. However, his peaceful observation is interrupted by the barking of the dog next door, causing him to quickly retreat to the safety of the kitchen.

Persuasive Writing

The goal of persuasive writing is to persuade the reader that a particular viewpoint or concept is the better one. When the author wants to motivate readers to act on a certain topic or express a strong opinion, they write in this style.

The language used in persuasive literature can take many distinct forms. At this level, there are several techniques that are frequently utilized in persuasive writing, including imperative verbs, alliteration, facts, opinions, rhetorical questions, and repetition.

Students can communicate their thoughts and opinions about a subject in persuasive writing. Practicing persuasive writing with persuasive writing techniques is an excellent method to learn about your student's interests and provide them the chance to conduct research on those topics. This encourages pupils to participate more in their coursework.

Newspaper columns, advertisements, and reviews are all persuasive writings.

This advertisement for Volkswagen in the American market is the perfect example of persuasive writing.

America has always adored large automobiles. Volkswagen had a challenge in the 1960s when they tried to expand the market for their little cars. The clever “Think Small” campaign gave buyers clever reasons to consider these models, like “If you run out of gas, it’s easy to push.” 

Creative Writing

Creative writing is a form of writing where the author thinks outside the conventional, formulaic framework. Therefore, the primary goal of creative writing is to utterly surprise both the reader and the storyteller.

Creative writing is, in other words, the practice of making things up. Creative writing includes any writing that calls for imagination. By conveying a concept, creative writing aims to arouse feelings in the reader. The topic is the main idea that the work of storytelling—which includes literature, films, graphic novels, creative non-fiction, and many video games—communicates.

Novel writing, poetry, short stories, TV scripts, etc., are all creative writing.

They are broken into small pieces called "places." One street goes across itself one or two times. A painter once discovered something possible and valuable about this street. Suppose a painter had some painting materials for which he had not paid. Suppose he had no money. Suppose a man came to get the money. The man might walk down that street and suddenly meet himself coming back without having received a cent! This part of the city is called Greenwich Village. And to old Greenwich Village, the painters soon came. Here they found rooms they like, with good light and at a low cost.

Objective Writing

Writing that is objective is a style of writing where the author must provide proof or facts to support their claim. To allow the reader to make their own view, the writer must stay objective in this writing. It is primarily employed in formal writing to provide an unbiased point of view toward a particular issue.

Writing with objectivity demonstrates your interest in facts and evidence rather than just your ideas, which is a powerful message to convey. As it conveys information fairly and leaves the reader's interpretation to their discretion, objective writing can be used to persuade, educate, and inform audiences.

There are many benefits to writing with objectivity, particularly when trying to persuade or instruct. Facts can be proven and backed up with evidence, while personal opinions rely solely on the author's trust and may not be as effective in convincing readers.

Report writing and legal writing are all examples of objective writing. Below is an example of objective writing.

The king of Ithaca, Odysseus, is portrayed by Homer as the authentic epic hero in Odyssey. The portrayal of Odysseus is deftly woven with the themes of love and loyalty that amplify it further, providing a comprehensive image of a protracted 10-year trip home. Odysseus is portrayed as adhering to a very definite heroic archetype, even if it may be argued that some of the personality traits he exhibits are unfit for a real hero.

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Subjective Writing

We can anticipate personal interpretation of the information supplied, if any if the writing is subjective.

When personal thoughts, sentiments, and subjective viewpoints are present in writing, it is considered subjective. The purpose of subjective writing is to express the author's thoughts, feelings, and preferences. In other words, the writer's own experiences served as the inspiration for this particular writing style. The author need not worry about the writing's accuracy or correctness when using this writing style.

Biased writing is typically subjective. Although it might have an objective beginning, subjectivity is at its very essence. A subject for subjective writing might not be obvious at first. It might not even intend to arrive at a precise conclusion, let alone try to. Writing that is subjective might not have supporting data. Technically, one is free to say whatever they like and is not required to provide data support unless they are speaking for an official occasion, such as a research paper or court proceeding.

The subject of subjective writing is the author rather than the subject of the writing. It is somewhat more reader-oriented than writer-oriented. Of course, it contains personal opinions regarding what the author thinks.

Look at this example.

As technology continues to advance rapidly each year, the demand for oil and gas also increases. These resources are needed for the maintenance of both commercial and private equipment. Even with on-going production, there are still many unexplored areas on Earth that may hold significant oil and gas reserves. However, I do not support the suggestion to make these areas public, despite the potential benefits it could bring to the current situation.

Journalistic Writing

News and factual events are reported in journalistic writing, a type of non-fiction writing.

 It can be used in news websites, television and radio scripts, newspaper pieces, and reports.

 Journalistic writing typically comprises concise words and paragraphs that swiftly get to the purpose of the article because it is meant to inform.

Journalistic writing is characterized by accurate facts related to the subject, direct quotes from experts to enhance credibility, expert viewpoints, and important dates relevant to the story.

Remember that giving individuals precise and succinct information is the primary goal of this sort of writing.

Hope the examples demonstrated the quintessential features of the different types of writing.

Moving on, we have addressed some of the most common questions students have regarding writing styles. Scroll down and read on!